What is a ghost? A tragedy condemned to repeat itself time and again? An instant of pain, perhaps? Something dead which still seems to be alive? An emotion suspended in time? Like a blurred photograph? Like an insect trapped in amber?

When we talk about "genre" as it relates to movies, books, comics, etc. what do we mean? What IS "genre?" Josh and Ira break down how we use that term on Film School.

Also, Josh recommends MasterChef (Hulu), and Ira recommends Sunderland Till I Die (Netflix).

The Genre Five Leaf Clover is available over at StoryGrid.com: https://storygrid.com/books/story-grid-genre-five-leaf-clover/

"The earth knows it's wrong for us to survive..."

We're diving into Miyazaki's second feature film! The world is a wasteland called the "sea of despair." But one intrepid young heroine might have the keys to save us all.

Josh and Ira take a trip outdoors to visit the Criterion Closet when it visited Los Angeles. It was a hoot!

Hayao Miyazaki's first film!

Josh announces our next project on Film School: we're diving deep into the Japanese anime master, Hayao Miyazaki!

I'm not drinking any f----ing merlot!

Discovering the object of the game is the object of the game...

It's hard to follow up a classic thriller like Seven, but that's exactly what David Fincher had to do with his next feature film, The Game. Michael Douglas, the man who has everything, is given "The Game" for his birthday. But what is 'the game?' Nobody will tell him. And very quickly, things turn up to 11 - murder, espionage, love, and unexpected trips to Mexico. At the time, this film seems to have been met with a bit of a shrug. But it turns out, decades later, its kinda turned into a cult favorite. Dare we say...another classic? Either way, Josh has never seen it. DON'T SPOIL IT FOR HIM. Buckle up. This one is a ride.

I know what came over you: High Anxiety. You've still got it!

Well, it turns out we couldn't quite get ol' Hitch out of our system, and neither could Mel Brooks. The king of satire does his signature send-up of the suspense film master, and it's starring Brooks himself! A first! This also, somehow, marks the first time we've watched a Books picture on this podcast, which reeks of high crime. Better late than never, we suppose. Enjoy!